From an intellectual open-minded monk, as King of Siam (now Thailand) from 1851 to 1868 he took the Kingdom on a path of survival in an era of growing western imperialism in Asia. He placed his Kingdom's independence as his top priority and through diplomacy and his personality he gradually brought Siam into the modern age earning him a place in history as one of the most respected Kings in Siam and in the world.

Mongkut, King Rama IV

Table of Contents

I. What did Mongkut do before becoming King?

1. Contender to the Throne

2. An Intellectual Reformist Monk

II. How did Mongkut became King?

III. What did Mongkut do?

1. Secured Peace and Buying Time with Siamese Honor

2. Modernized Siam

3. Introduced Siam to the World

IV. What happened to Mongkut?
V. Which Siamese King Continued Modernization after Mongkut?
VI. Summing Up

What did Mongkut do before becoming King?

Contender to the Throne

Mongkut was the son of King Rama II and Queen Sri Suriyedra born on October 18, 1804. Being born to a Queen, he stood as a contender to the throne and as tradition of the Chakri Dynasty who sponsored Buddhism, at the age of 19 he entered the monastery to study to become a monk which also serves as a training for being a King. In 1824, King Rama II passed away without naming an heir, and a council of top ranking officials met to decide the succession.

Mongkut had a high chance, but the council chose his older and more experienced brother Nangklao as the next ruler who became Rama III. Mongkut then felt a sigh of relief as he wanted to be away from palace politics and continue his scholastic pursuits in a monastery.

Mongkut as a monk

Intellectual Reformist Monk

As a monk, Mongkut showed fascination with new and foreign subjects. He became a well known scholar of the Pali Text and also foreign literature. He blended the traditional and modern knowledge, especially in astronomy, criticizing the conservative religious establishment. He saw them as deviating from the original teachings by incorporating local superstitions, thus he established his own sect, a reformation movement in Buddhism, through the Thammayut Nikaya.

Beside astronomy, Mongkut also enjoyed other foreign subjects like medicine, and languages. Siam, even before, enjoyed small interactions with the West. King Narai of the previous Ayutthaya Kingdom even sent an embassy to the court of France's Louis XIV. In turn, Mongkut interacted with local westerners such as Fr. Jean-Baptiste Pallegoix and Dan Beach Bradley. Through their interactions Mongkut and his Thammayut Nikaya learned foreign languages like English and Latin which later became essential in diplomacy and learning modern sciences.

Along with intellectual pursuits, Mongkut also travelled the Kingdom. He visited the countryside meeting his people and experiencing diverse cultures. In 1833, in one of his travels, he made a significant discovery. He stumbled upon a stele which described the reign of a great king of an early Siamese Kingdom. He uncovered the Stele of Sukhothai King Ramkhamhaeng.

How did Mongkut became King?

At 46 years old, Mongkut's monastic life came to an end. King Rama III fell ill in January 1851 and had not yet named a successor. The council of top officials again discussed the succession.

March 15, 1851, the country’s most influential minister Dit Bunnag of the powerful Bunnag clan presided over the meeting. They considered the prevailing geopolitical situation, about how the west took on Asia’s largest empire in the Opium War. Moreover western encroachments around Siam also intensified. Will they be next? Hence, they decided to make King a Prince with a high standing, knew the foreigners, and had the mind - Mongkut.

A messenger from Bangkok went to Mongkut carrying the council's decision. He accepted and guards descended upon his residence to secure the monarch. By April 1851, King Rama III passed away and the reign of Mongkut, King Rama IV, began.

Mongkut, or rather the Bunnag clan, secured their hold over the government. Dit Bunnag began to transfer much of his duties to his sons. His son Chuang Bunnag, better known as Chao Phraya Si Suriyawongse, took his father's position as Kalahom, or Minister of War. His brother Kham Bunnag took the post of Phraklang or Foreign and Finance Minister. They became the pillars who assisted Mongkut in his momentous reign.

Dit Bunnag

What did Mongkut Do?

1. Secured Peace and Buying Time with Siamese Honor

Around the 4th year of his reign, Mongkut stared eye to eye with imperialism. He faced the question of deal or no deal under tense geopolitical and domestic situations. He handled it with pragmatism and charm.

In 1855, the HMS Rattler rattled Bangkok bringing over Sir John Bowring, the Governor of Hong Kong. Bowring brought with him proposals and the aura of victory of a small island against a massive Middle Kingdom and against Burma, just right into the doorsteps of Siam. The man may just be Death coming for Siam's independence.

Sir John Bowring

Mongkut and have been used to foreigners and treated his British guests with hospitality and courtesy. Bowring did the same. After pleasantries, the Governor of Hong Kong went to business handing over to King Mongkut Her Majesty's conditions for a Trade Agreement expecting a reply within 30 days.

For 30 stressful days, Mongkut and his officials discussed the conditions. It included typical western unequal treaties such as extraterritoriality for their citizens, free trade, and legalization of opium. Opposition in the court centered around the potential loss of revenue while those who wanted to concede, including Mongkut, argued the conditions suffered by China and Burma. Fear of a China-like scenario won.

In April 1855, Mongkut's officials signed with Bowring the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce aka the Bowring Treaty. It granted the following:

1. Extraterritorial rights to British citizens

2. Low taxes for lands acquired by the British

3. Abolition of transit duties and monopolies

4. Allowed 3% ad valorem tax for imports and 5% for exports

5. Lifting of restriction on rice exports

6. Legalization of Opium which the British allowed to be under crown monopoly

After the Siamese government conceded the pack smelled blood and a wave of similar treaties followed.

1856 - France secured a treaty through Charles de Montigny then followed by the United States through Stephen Mathon

1858 - Denmark secured a treaty

1860 - The Netherland signed a Treaty

1862 - Prussia signed a Treaty

1868 - Sweden, Belgium, and Italy secured their respective deals with Siam

Mongkut and his government secured peace, but at what cost? Foreigners immune from Siamese laws. Financially, government revenues drop due to reduction of tariffs and loss of monopolies in rice, tin, and teak. Loss of sovereignty and money kept Siam free and at peace.

Nevertheless, the monk King did not turn away his eyes on the effects and moved to soften the blow. Indeed the government loss some monopolies, but he replaced this with more lucrative monopolies in sinful industries - opium, alcohol and lottery. The crown shifted from commodities into drug dealing, alcohol peddling and gambling. With regards to the rice trade, the revenue from export duties dropped, but Mongkut's government increased the volume to offset the loss in value. After a year, government finances recovered and Siam became a leading exporter of rice.

2. Modernized Siam

Mongkut understood that a key for Siam's survival lay with emulating the West. They must adopt western technologies, laws, culture, and economy for the west to see them as an equally civilized country and not as inferior barbarians. Thus, Mongkut took the first steps in Siam's quest of modernization.

Infrastructure projects to better connect the country and improve the rice trade began at earnest. Ports, harbors, and warehouses upgraded. Transport and communications developed through riverine transport, roads and telegraph lines. Steamboats began to ply the Chao Phraya and Siam's vast river systems. Mongkut also established a Royal Mint to issue new currency and improve trading transactions.

Bangkok also gave attention to modernizing the living standards of Siamese. They expanded education and modern sciences, technology, philosophy, and languages. In medicine, vaccination spread such as for smallpox spearheaded by the King's acquaintance, Dan Beach Bradly. Mongkut brought his modernization agenda to the very doorstep of his people.

On the other hand, the court also radically changed. Officials and the Royal Family members started wearing western style clothing. Some traditions about the monarchy also stopped, like the closing of doors and windows when the king passed by. Even the naming changed with Prince Pinklao, the Second King or Deputy King, giving an English name, George Washington, to one of his sons.

Modern education also reached the royal family where Anna Leonowens, whose diary became the basis of the King and I, entered the picture. She entered as the tutor of Mongkut's 60 children, including the future King Chulalongkorn. Mongkut's household also embraced the changes he had his kingdom accept.

Anna Leonowens

3. Introduced Siam to the World

As Western imperialism slowly teetered closer into Siam, Mongkut anchored not only his country's independence into modernization. No one with great power would care if some western imperialist suddenly expanded into an unknown kingdom in Southeast Asia. Mongkut thus began a diplomatic charm offensive bringing global awareness to Siam going so far as doing his version of China's panda diplomacy in the 19th century.

Mongkut's modernization did not stop the spread of Western Imperialism near Siam's border. In fact, tensions remained high with fresh British and French encroachments in the region. In 1862, Siam and Britain clashed over politics of Terranganu. In 1863, France intensified its intervention in Cambodia. Each activity struck a fear in Bangkok calling for more careful and intense diplomacy.

His diplomacy began at home. He treated foreigners well, introducing freedom of religion to guarantee the activities of foreign missionaries. He also exempted foreigners from prostating in front of him while having an audience. He understood that trouble with foreign citizens in Siam may be used as an excuse for western powers to intervene, hence the good will.

Across the sea, Mongkut introduced Siam to the west. He sent embassies to Europe delivering letters he had written. He corresponded with Pope Pius IX. He exchanged gifts with Napoleon III. He, just like China offering pandas, offered Abraham Lincoln an elephant, a daunting task but the intent showed the desire for good will between Siam and the United States.

What happened to King Mongkut?

An eclipse then happened. A solar eclipse to occur in September 1868 excited the astronomer inside Mongkut. The King invited foreigners to join him and travel to Wa Kor (Waghor) to enjoy the spectacle. However, during the trip, Mongkut caught malaria. On October 1, 1868, the monk King who started Siam's modernization journey passed away.

King Mongkut in the center, Wa Kor, 1868

Which Siamese King Continued Modernization after Mongkut?

Long before, Mongkut already recognized his eldest son, Chula, or Chulalongkorn, as his successor. His son continued the quest for Siam's modernization. Chula or King Rama V inherited key issues his father avoided to touch, namely administrative reforms, to combat inefficiency, corruption and nepotism, and the issue of slavery.

Summing Up

Mongkut earned his place in history with his colorful life, from a curious monk into a steady pragmatic hand that led Siam, or Thailand, across the treacherous waters battered by storms of western imperialism. He ushered Thailand's modernization leaving some of the old to embrace the new with maintaining his Kingdom's freedom as his paramount goal. Ultimately, his son successfully achieved his goal and today Thailand boasts being only the Southeast Asian country that avoided being colonized by foreign powers.